Hyrox has amended its official rulebooks after the winner of a recent Beijing event experienced bowel incontinence mid-race yet continued competing. The incident sparked widespread debate in China over sportsmanship and the organizer’s handling of potential hygiene risks.

On Monday, Hyrox updated its online rulebook to state that a race director may withdraw an athlete if their “blood, vomit, urine, or faeces pose a welfare or contamination risk to the racer or to other racers.” 

The change comes in the wake of controversy surrounding the women’s solo elite race on Saturday, in which Australian athlete and Hyrox world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk finished first with a time of 1:01:23. Footage circulating online showed fecal matter staining Wietrzyk’s clothing and legs as she performed various exercises.

Hyrox has recently surged in popularity across China. Founded in Germany, the sport features eight 1-kilometer runs, each followed by strength training stations including sled pulls, rowing, and burpees. China’s first official race was held in Beijing in 2024 and drew 1,700 entries. Participants at this weekend’s Beijing event exceeded 11,000, with standard individual registration costing roughly 800 yuan ($125).

Competitors and social media users questioned organizers’ decision to let Wietrzyk continue racing. The Women’s Pro division won by Wietrzyk began at 2:40 p.m. Saturday, with other heats scheduled until 8:40 p.m. and another full day of competition Sunday.

“As someone who works in the public health sector, my biggest concern is that if she had a bacterial or viral infection, contamination like this could spread pathogens very quickly,” a Beijing-based athlete in her 20s, surnamed Wang, whose race began about an hour after Wietrzyk, told Sixth Tone. 

Toilets were available at the venue, she noted, but using the bathroom counts toward an athlete’s total race time. 

In a post made via its official account on microblogging platform Weibo Saturday night, Hyrox’s China division said organizers had “immediately” closed and disinfected affected areas and removed contaminated equipment. Wang said she had seen nothing “noticeably unusual” on the course.

Wietrzyk later posted an Instagram Story of herself receiving an intravenous infusion from what appeared to be a hospital. An accompanying caption read: “a win is a win.”

This drew further criticism from some Chinese social media users, who saw the remark as dismissive of concerns over other competitors’ health and safety. 

Italian Hyrox pro-athlete Sara Gandola, who competed in the same race, told Sixth Tone that Wietrzyk should not be blamed for the incident.

Gandola said the responsibility of athletes is to perform at their highest level within the rules, while “it is the sport’s responsibility to set those rules and define what is acceptable.”

“If you disagree with the rules, debate the rules,” she said. “But attacking an athlete for doing exactly what elite athletes are supposed to do is completely backward.”

On Monday, Hyrox’s global headquarters issued a statement on Instagram, describing the incident as an “unforeseen situation” and adding that those who threatened its athletes would be permanently banned from future events. 

However, Chinese social media users criticized their stance for not directly acknowledging failures in how it handled the incident at the time. 

Later that day, Hyrox China admitted on Weibo that the incident exposed “shortcomings” in its competition rules and said it had proposed revisions to its global headquarters. The previous Hyrox rulebook imposes a two-minute penalty for littering, spitting, or blowing one’s nose onto the floor, but does not address fecal incontinence. 

Hyrox China added that the venue’s carpets had been replaced and that the entire venue had been deep-cleaned overnight, pledging to disinfect both venues before future events and any shared equipment.

Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste also issued an apology via Instagram on Monday, admitting that “Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.”

In a Sunday commentary, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the incident highlighted a growing tension between the “rapid expansion” of commercial sporting events and “gaps in competition rules.”

Additional reporting: Xie Anran; editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: VCG)